Man Who Kicked Someone Else's Dog Sentenced for 'Insult Crime' and the Reason Behind It

Complaints About Dog Barking at Owner... Severe Insults to Owner
Both Defendant and Prosecution Appeal 1.5 Million Won Fine Verdict

Chuncheon District Court Wonju Branch.
Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyunjung] A man in his 60s who hurled severe insults at a neighbor trying to stop him from kicking a barking dog was fined in the first trial.

According to a report by Yonhap News on the 9th, Judge Lee Jisoo of the Chuncheon District Court Wonju Branch Criminal Division 2 sentenced A (65) to a fine of 1.5 million won on charges of insult.

A was tried for insulting B (72, female), a neighbor, by using abusive language that was hard to put into words at around 7:30 p.m. on November 18 last year at an apartment playground in Wonju, Gangwon Province.

A had been dissatisfied because B’s dog barked at him regularly, and on the day of the incident, upon seeing the dog, he acted in such a manner. At that time, the victim B was talking with another neighbor, which established the public nature of the insult charge.

Article 311 of the Criminal Act defines insult as a crime committed by publicly insulting a person, punishable by imprisonment or detention for up to one year or a fine of up to 2 million won.

Both A and the prosecution appealed the first trial verdict.

Meanwhile, disputes over others’ pets continue unabated.

In April in Ulsan, a man in his 70s who verbally abused a man walking his dog without reason and kicked the dog while threatening, "I will kill this damn dog," was fined 500,000 won. The defendant was also prosecuted for intimidation after approaching the protesting dog owner more closely and attempting to hit him.

At that time, the court stated as the reason for sentencing, "The defendant’s acts of kicking the victim’s dog and threatening the victim are sufficiently proven."

Also, in 2020 in Songpa-gu, Seoul, a man in his 30s who tried to touch another’s dog without permission and then insulted and assaulted the owner was fined 1 million won on charges of insult and intimidation. The dog owner recorded the defendant’s abusive behavior on a mobile phone video, which was accepted as evidence.

Meanwhile, a significant difference in perception between pet owners and non-pet owners is identified as one of the main causes of such conflicts.

According to the '2022 Pet Companion Travel Survey' released by the Korea Tourism Organization in June, 80% of pet owners responded that they 'comply well' with the main etiquette pet owners should observe, whereas only 30% of non-pet owners agreed, showing a large gap in views between the two groups.

Additionally, regarding conflicts related to dogs, pet owners pointed to 'the behavior and perception of non-pet owners' as the biggest problem, while non-pet owners cited 'hygiene and noise caused by pets' as the cause, revealing an irreconcilable difference in opinions.